Mr. Conservative: Goldwater on Goldwater

Mr. Conservative: Goldwater on Goldwater is a 2006 documentary film directed by filmmaker and political activist, Lionel Chetwynd. The film explores the political career and personal life of Barry Goldwater, the five-term U. S. Senator from Arizona, who ran for the presidency of the United States in 1964 as the Republican Party's standard-bearer against Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson.

The documentary features extensive interviews with Goldwater himself, as well as with his family members, political colleagues and opponents, and other public figures from the era. Among those interviewed are political commentator James Carville, former Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee, and civil rights leader Julian Bond.

The film covers Goldwater's early life as a businessman and activist in Arizona, his rise to political prominence as a key figure in the conservative movement of the 1950s and 60s, and his ultimately unsuccessful campaign for the presidency in 1964. Along the way, the film explores the political ideas and philosophies that drove Goldwater's political career, including his strong support for limited government, individual freedom, and free market capitalism.

Throughout the film, Goldwater himself comes across as a passionate and committed political figure, deeply committed to his conservative principles and unafraid to speak his mind, even when it meant going against conventional wisdom or his own party's leadership. At the same time, the documentary presents Goldwater as a complex and sometimes contradictory figure, with a personal life that was often at odds with his public image as a rugged, no-nonsense conservative.

One of the key themes that runs throughout the film is Goldwater's role in shaping modern conservatism in America. The film argues that Goldwater's 1964 presidential campaign, despite its ultimate defeat, played a crucial role in laying the groundwork for the conservative movement that would emerge in the 1970s and 80s, and that would ultimately lead to the election of Ronald Reagan as president in 1980.

At the same time, the film is not afraid to explore some of the more controversial aspects of Goldwater's political career, including his opposition to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which many have criticized as being racially insensitive. The documentary also examines Goldwater's often fraught relationship with the media, which he saw as biased against him and his conservative ideas.

Overall, Mr. Conservative: Goldwater on Goldwater is a fascinating and informative look at one of the most important political figures of the 20th century. Whether you are a conservative, a liberal, or somewhere in between, this documentary offers a thought-provoking exploration of the ideas and ideals that have shaped American politics for generations, and that continue to resonate today.